Stephen Roche, the winner of cycling's Triple Crown in 1987, has said Team
Sky's management will face "a nightmare" at this year's Tour de
France where the British outfit hopes to win the yellow and green jerseys in
the respective general and points classification competitions.

Roche, who alongside Eddy Merckx is the only rider to win the Giro d'Italia, Tour and road race world championship in the same season, also told Telegraph Sport that Chris Froome may have the edge over Bradley Wiggins in the race to become Britain's first ever winner of the world's biggest bike race.

"I think [Dave] Brailsford, before Sky was launched, said that he wanted to have a Tour de France winner within five years, so I reckon he could achieve that earlier than planned," Roche said in reference to the team principal's goal ahead of their launch in January 2010.

"Initially I felt that that that was just a commercial pitch because a Tour winner doesn't just come along like that. So who's Brailsford got in his pocket capable of winning the Tour? Wiggins?

"Well maybe now, but not at the time. But now we look at it differently. I think Brailsford was very courageous to come out and announce that.

"For me, though, I think Froome is the one: he's got a great attitude, great ability, he time-trials well, climbs well and recuperates very well and can last the three weeks.

"Ok, Bradley's there, but he's now targeted. People know Bradley, whereas Froome could benefit from the limelight being on Bradley and [Mark] Cavendish.

Following the capture of Cavendish, the road race world champion, Team Sky have stated that they hope to become the first team since Telekom in 1996 to win the yellow and green jerseys in the Tour. On that occasion Bjarne Riis and Erik Zabel claimed the respective jerseys.

"They might, though, lose everything by targeting both. It will be very difficult for them," added Roche.

"Cavendish has a habit of getting himself docked points from his conduct and in this year's Tour any misconduct will be severely punished so if he realistically wants to win the green jersey he will have to be careful.

"He, or anyone else, could lose up to 60 points following a rule change.

"They are trying to work with a system now where if someone does make a mistake [through a collision or riding in another rider's line in a sprint situation] then they are severely docked.

"So, if Cavendish wins a couple of stages and and then doesn't end up winning the overall [in the points classification] it may jeopardise the yellow jersey.

"The biggest problem I see is the management. They've got a headache. How are they going to coordinate the sprints for Cavendish so that he's happy he has a good lead-out? How are they going to cope with Froome and Wiggins when they can't ride in the lead-out for Cavendish?

"Then Cavendish's lead-out man can't ride for them. It's going to be a nightmare for the management, I wouldn't like to be them at all."